Dale Steyn

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

We were fortunate enough to attend the inaugural lunch of the Wisden 150 Club at the Kennington Oval earlier this week where Michael Atherton and Allan Donald relived their memorable contretemps at Trent Bridge in 1998 as well as other notable encounters between the two.

Whilst the Chatham House Rule prevents us from divulging what Messrs Atherton and Donald actually said whilst we enjoyed a glass or two of a rather fine Bordeaux, we were reminded that clashes between South Africa and England tend to be extremely close.

Think back to 1994 where Devon Malcolm’s nine for 57 squared the series at The Oval, or 1995 where after four drawn Tests including Atherton’s famous 185 not out at the Wanderers South Africa prevailed in the final Test at Cape Town. Three years later in England, the home side came back from one-nil down to take the last two Tests and the series. Then in 2003, having ended Nasser Hussain’s reign as skipper and scoring double hundreds in each of the first two Tests, Graeme Smith saw his side pegged back at The Oval to see the series end two Tests apiece.

England then won another close series in South Africa in 2004/05 as they toned up for a titanic Ashes series six months later. The two-one score-line was reversed in the summer of 2008 when Smith finally led his side to a series win in England and saw the back of another home skipper in the shape of Michael Vaughan. Finally, in 2009/10, England somehow escaped with a drawn series having secured thrilling nine-wicket down draws at Centurion and Newlands.

By now you probably get the picture – England and South Africa Test series are always close and if anything this upcoming series could be the closest yet as there does not appear to be a hair’s breadth between the sides. Whilst the series is scandalously being played over just three Tests – especially as it pits the best two teams in the world against each other (forget the updated ICC rankings published at the weekend, which surely erroneously placed Australia at number two), a thrilling contest awaits.

As the home side, England probably just have the edge, but an opposition containing batsmen such as Smith, the classy Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis and the underrated AB De Villiers plus a bowling attack of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Imran Tahir will provide Andrew Strauss’ team with an almighty Test.

After a seemingly never-ending diet of Twenty 20 and fifty over cricket, the series cannot come soon enough even if the biblically bad weather will no doubt rear its ugly head. We’re so excited, we’ve even started updating this blog again!

Monday, March 26, 2012

The early days of Test cricket was a pretty hideous time to be a batsman. Uncovered pitches were bad enough, but it was a murderous cast of bowlers that portended doom.

Cast in the Devil's image himself, this motley crew wreaked havoc on Victorian batsmen and administrators alike as Test matches came and went at the pace of a modern Twenty 20 game.

The names still trip off the tongue and strike fear onto any unsuspecting batsman casting an eye on cricket's history: Charlie 'Terror' Turner, George Lohmann, Tom Richardson and the Demon himself - Frederick Spofforth.

To these Four Horsemen of batting apocalypses can now be added the name of 'Vicious' Vernon Philander who has become the fastest man to 50 Test wickets in over 116 years. Only the Terror (6 Tests) and Richardson (7) in history have beaten or equalled Philander's merciless haul.

In just six and a half Tests, Philander has 51 wickets at a ridiculous average of 13.58 including six five wicket hauls and two ten wicket matches. His strike rate is a wicket every 24.5 balls - the best by a country mile of any bowler with 50 Test wickets. Indeed, his overall stats are 209 overs with 40 maidens and 51 wickets for 693 runs.

Any which way you cut it, Vicious Vernon's stats are staggeringly good, which kind of begs the question as to why the South African selectors waited until he was 26 before handing him his Test debut?

The batting paradises of the sub-continent will doubtless provide Philander's career stats with a more modern hue, but anyone that can put Dale Steyn in the shade must be a pretty remarkable bowler.

Monday, January 02, 2012

Pakistan seem to be doing quite nicely thank you despite security concerns preventing them from playing home internationals in their own country. As England may well find out in a few weeks, the pitches in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah have proved a home from home for Misbah-ul-Haq's side.

South Africa must be giving serious consideration to inventing security concerns in their own country given that they have not won a series at home since defeating the mighty Bangladesh in both Tests of a two match series way back in November 2008.

Since then they have lost one and drawn another series with Australia, also drawn with India and somehow let England escape with a 1-1 scoreline back in 2009/10.

What is the reason for this malaise? It is certainly not because they are a weak side. Dale Steyn at his best is reminiscent of Malcom Marshall in his pomp and a top six containing the likes of Hashim Amla, AB De Villiers, Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis is as good as any in world cricket.

An unadventurous approach, a surprising tendency for batting collapses and the lack of a penetrating spinner whilst Imran Tahir gets his bearings are all possible reasons, but there must be a confidence issue too.

What else can explain the performance against a Sri Lankan side that hadn't won in its 15 previous Tests and had never won a Test in South Africa?

Smith's side may well right the wrong in the series decider in Cape Town this week, but the vulnerability that was on show at Kingsmead last week and The Wanderers against Australia just a few weeks ago means that what should be a very powerful side is someway short of challenging England as the best Test side around.

At the moment the sum of England's whole exceeds its parts, the same can not be said for the Proteas.

Friday, December 30, 2011

Alastair Cook (927 runs at 84.27, 4 100s): Started off the year in Sydney with his third hundred of a prolific Ashes series before scoring runs for fun against Sri Lanka and then grinding India into submission with a monumental 294 at Edgbaston.

Rahul Dravid (1145 runs at 57.25, 5 100s): We could have gone for either Taufeeq Umar and Mohammad Hafeez as a specialist opener but instead we opt for the reluctant opener and highest Test run scorer of the year. 2011 was the year of Dravid's resurrection. Whether it was showing the Indian youngsters how to do it with a brilliant hundred on a treacherous Sabina Park wicket or singularly manning a burning bridge in England with three hundreds and a quarter of the team's total runs in the series, Dravid was immense.

Kumar Sangakkara (1034 runs at 49.23, 4 100s): Others may hadmore impressive averages in 2011, but King Kumar was the second highest scorer in Tests and saved matches at the Rose Bowl and even more memorably at Abu Dhabi where his epic 644 minute 211 foiled Pakistan. Finally his 2nd innings hundred at Kingsmead helped set up a famous win for his side. If that wasn't enough like Dravid he also shone away from the crease too with his already legendary Cowdrey Lecture.

Kevin Pietersen (731 runs at 73.10, 2 100s): A close call with Younis Khan(765 runs at 85.00) but we judged that KP's runs came against sterner opposition. His double hundred at Lord's against India showed a new responsibility to Pietersen's batting whilst his 175 at The Oval showed that he was back to his flamboyant peacock strutting best.

Ian Bell (950 runs at 118.75, 5 100s): From just 11 visits to the crease in 2011, Bell hit one double hundred, four further hundreds and two fifties. He also finally removed the monkey off his back when batting at three with a brilliant match-turning hundred at Trent Bridge and a masterly double hundred at The Oval. Could well be the best batsman in the world at the moment.

Misbah-ul-Haq (765 runs at 69.54, 1 100): Pakistan's inspirational captain proved a calming influence on his exhuberent team and an even calmer presence at the crease where he scored seven fifties to go with his one hundred. As captain his side beat New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh and drew in the Caribbean, which given the turmoil when he took over from the disgraced Salman Butt was nothing short of remarkable.

Matt Prior (519 runs at 64.87, 3 100s): Like Cook and Bell started off the year with a hundred in the Sydney Test. He then scored hundreds at Lord's against Sri Lanka and a crucial 2nd innings effort against India after England had suffered a mini-collapse. Perhaps even more important is the speed at which he gets his runs with his strike rate of 89 being the highest of anyone with more than 250 runs in 2011. His work with the gloves continues to impress just don't mention that Lord's dressing room window.

Stuart Broad (33 wickets at 22.30, 1 five-for; 239 runs at 39.83, 3 50s): Welegedera, Gul, Philander and team-mates Bresnan and Tremlett ran him close but Broad's performances against India gets him our vote. In the first two Tests he bordered on the Bothamesque – the partnership with Prior steadied the ship at Lord’s, his fifty at Trent Bridge lifted England from the abyss and his hat-trick the next day dramatically changed the course of the match. He ended the series with 25 wickets at 14 and 182 runs at 61.

Dale Steyn (28 wickets at 19.57, 2 five-fors) - South Africa may have only played five Tests in 2011 but it is impossible to leave the best bowler in the world by a country mile out especially with a strike rate in 2011 of 38.2. Became the second quickest in history (after Lillee) to 250 Test wickets and at his best reminds one of Malcolm Marshall in his pomp. Yes, Steyn is that good.

Saeed Ajmal (50 wickets at 23.86, 3 five-fors): The leading wicket taker in Tests in 2011 and now arguably the best spinner in world cricket - his upcoming battle with Swann in the UAE will be fascinating. Pips team-mate Abdur Rehman, Devendra Bishoo and Rangana Herath for the spinners role in our XI.

James Anderson (35 wickets at 24.85, ER 2.93, SR 50.8, 1 five-for): Completed his demolition job of Australia at Sydney and then moved on to the small matter of India's stellar batting line-up in the summer where he made a certain Sachin Tendulkar look mortal. After Steyn the best quick bowler in the world.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Roebuck concurs that cricket has seen its fair share of great players since the emergence of the formidable West Indies side of the late seventies. He goes on to name half a dozen current batsmen deserving of the great tag: Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Jacques Kallis, Kumar Sangakkara and Ricky Ponting, before adding the caveat that all are within a few years of retirement.

When it comes to bowlers, Roebuck argues that only Dale Steyn is worthy of a place in the pantheon of bowling greats. This is hard to contradict as those closest to Steyn like James Anderson, Graeme Swann and Zaheer Khan would seem to fall into the ‘very good’ rather than ‘great’ category.

We’d concur with Roebuck that of the current crop of batsmen, Hashim Amla seems the most likely candidate to attain greatness in the coming years. His Test career took a while to get into top gear, but his sublime style and appetite for runs has grown and he averages over 70 since the start of 2010. Judging by his recent hundreds against Australia in Cape Town and Johannesburg the best is yet to come.

The past week has thrown up two more fledgling candidates, albeit two at the outset of their careers but whose promise seems unlimited.

A lot of people are getting very excited about Australia’s new fast bowling discovery Patrick Cummins. Even as thoughtful, respected and usually restrained observer like Christopher Martin-Jenkins writes in today’s Times that Cummins is a gem in the mould of Dennis Lillee and Glenn McGrath.

New Australian coach Mickey Arthur also sees comparisons with Steyn and it has to be said that it is hard to recall a more impressive entry into Test cricket than the one made by Cummins in Johannesburg. His six-wicket haul almost single-handedly brought Australia back into the game and more than that it was the manner in which he bowled that marked him as something special. The fact he is only 18, and with just a handful of first-class matches under his belt is mind-boggling. Australia would appear to have found the basis from which to rebuild.

Another to provoke comparison with a recent great is the 22 year old West Indian batsman Darren Bravo, who with back to back centuries in the current series with India has the same batting average and just one run less than Brian Lara at the same stage of his career.

Bravo has reputedly based his batting on Lara and there is no mistaking the panache, style and manner of his fellow Trinidadian at the crease. Of the many promising players that have emerged in the Caribbean such as fellow batsman Kirk Edwards, speedster Kemar Roach and spinner Devendra Bishoo, Bravo stands at the head of the pack. A West Indian resurgence could be in the offing at last.

There are other promising young players – Virat Kohli to name but one, but the positive impression left by Cummins and Bravo in the last week means that they will be the ones to watch most closely over the next few years.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Graeme Smith - 5: Undone by Johnson first time around and the extra bounce of Lyons in the 2nd innings. Gamble to bring on Tahir in the final throes of the chase failed.

Jacques Rudolph - 5: Looked well set in both innings before two tame dismissals. Will need to start kicking on to resist the claims of Alviro Petersen for his spot in the side.

Hashim Amla - 9: Was content to be circumspect as Kallis blasted away at the other end on day one, before playing what appeared to be the crucial knock of the Test with his 2nd innings hundred. Averages over 70 since the start of 2010 and on this form has a claim to be the best batsman in the world today.

Jacques Kallis - 6: 1st innings 54 off just 41 balls was very un-Kallis like, before the big man was out-foxed by Cummins second time around. Disappointing with the ball again: he now averages 53 with the ball since the start of 2010 in stark contrast to the 80 he offers with the bat. Can he now be classed as an all-rounder?

AB De Villiers - 7: A pair of fluent fifties only tells half the story as his shocking 2nd innings dismissal poking at one from Cummins started South Africa's slide.

Ashwell Prince - 6: Nice 50 on day one before needlessly holing out to mid-on and then run out by Amla second time around.

Mark Boucher - 5: Safe enough with the gloves, but his batting powers look in decline as evidenced especially by his ridiculous dimissal in the 1st innings when his side needed him to dig in.

Vernon Philander - 8: Two Tests, two five-fors and 14 wickets at 14. Where has he been? Bowled intelligently throughout and led the attack admirably as Steyn and Morkel failed to deliver in the 2nd innings.

Dale Steyn - 7: Brilliant in the 1st innings to inspire the South African fightback and Australian collapse, but not at his best second time around and will rue his late drop of Cummins. Useful 41 with the bat looked to have made Australia's target too stiff.

Morne Morkel - 5: Disappointing on a ground that usually suits him - think England in 2010. Can be a top bowler but is inconsistent too often.

Imran Tahir - 5: Mopped up the tail nicely in the 1st innings as a good leg-spinner should, but perhaps a bit disappointing second time around. But it was only his 2nd Test and Tahir is clearly a better option than Paul Harris.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Nothing quite excites in cricket as much as watching a genuinely fast bowler at the top of his game and that's exactly what Dale Steyn was after lunch against Australia yesterday.

For sure, Australia's batting line-up (and that of South Africa's too) seems to have a collective case of severe osteoporosis given its propensity for sudden collapse, but Steyn once again was magnificent.

We suggested last week that assuming that Steyn maintains his current level of peformance he will be as deserving as Sachin Tendulkar of a place in the pantheon of all-time greats, and here's three reasons why:

Surpassing Lillee - If Steyn takes just two wickets in the second innings, he will overtake Dennis Lillee - not a bad fast bowler himself - as the fastest ever to 250 Test wickets.

He's getting better - The frightening thing for the world's batsmen is that Steyn appears to be geeting better. Since the start of 2010, he has taken 76 wickets in 14 Tests at an average of 20 and a strike rate of 38.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Graeme Smith - 9: Guided his side to victory with his fourth hundred in a successful fourth innings run chase - the first man to do so in Test history.

Jacques Rudolph - 5: His first Test in five years and he made two appearances in the middle on the same day. Made 18 and 14, but he can't be judged on this crazy game.

Hashim Amla - 8: Amla is to batting what Beethoven and Sinatra are to music, Shakespeare to writing and Olivier to acting. Was given two lives and made the Australians pay with a sublime hundred. Bradman must have been some batsman to have had a career average over twice that of Amla.

Jacques Kallis - 3: Undone on review by Bowden and bowled too short on day one, but at least he was there when the winning runs were scored.

AB de Villiers - 3: Another to fall victim to the merciless Bowden on review as the South African first innings collapse reached epic proportions.

Ashwell Prince - 2: Missed a full and straight one from Watson to register an unwelcome golden duck.

Mark Boucher - 4: In all the hullabaloo, it was easy to forget that Boucher registered his 500th Test catch when he snared Hughes in the first innings.

Vernon Philander - 9: A stunning debut by anyone's standards even if conditions helped. Put the ball in the right place and was rewarded with eight wickets.

Dale Steyn - 9: Bowled magnificently on day one to show that he is the best bowler in the world today by a country mile: hostility, pace, movement and aggression, Steyn has it all.

Morne Morkel - 8: Bowled too full on day one, but his radar was well and truly functioning on day two as he and Philander inspired the mother of all collapses.

Imran Tahir - 4: Struggled against the quick feet of Clarke, but this was not a pitch or a match for a leg-spinner to make his Test bow.

Friday, November 11, 2011

If Michael Clarke thought life had been too unpredictable during his time with Lara Bingle, then he may wish to reconsider after an extraordinary second day in the 1st Test at Newlands yesterday.

It was the day that Crowded House could have reformed and conceivably reprised one of their biggest hits with a slight twist – forget four seasons, this was four innings in one day.

It should have been so different. After Clarke’s brilliant 151 (an innings that has now acquired the value of Italy’s national debt after what followed) had steered his side to 284 and Shane Watson had dismantled the hosts for 96, Australia’s advantage should have been impregnable.

But just as against Pakistan at Headingley in 2010 and England in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG five days later, Australia were found wanting in seam and swing friendly conditions.

This was the third time that Australia had been bowled out for less than 100 in 12 Tests. Prior to that they had only failed to make three figures once in 277 Tests stretching back 26 years. This batting is more brittle than the most severe case of osteoporosis.

Let’s make it clear this was nothing to do with the pitch. Sure Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn put the ball in the right place, and yes it nibbled around a bit, but the fault lies squarely with the batsmen.

Watson and Ricky Ponting (whose decline has now reached epic proportions) missed straight deliveries to be leg before, Mike Hussey played a loose shot and as for Brad Haddin, well the wicketkeeper could conceivably be charged with dereliction of duty after a brainless charge down the wicket to Philander when his side were already 18/5.

A clearly stunned Clarke fronted up bravely at the close of play and said that the batting had been “disgraceful” – he couldn’t really have said anything else.

47 all out after being 21/9, a Test thrown away and severe question marks over the future of certain players like Haddin – the pile in John Inverarity’s in-tray has just got a whole heap bigger.

Perhaps the biggest compliment we can give him is that he would have been good enough to get into the West Indian pace attack of the 1970s and 1980s.

Steyn's full armoury was on show at Newlands today as he swung the ball both ways with express pace and real menace.

He likes his duels in Cape Town too. Two years ago it was Paul Collingwood as Steyn delivered a staggeringly good spell with the new ball that even Collingwood in full match-saving mode could not fathom how he didn't lose his wicket.

Today it was Michael Clarke, as Steyn subjected him to a torrid start: peppering him with the short-ball, troubling the Australian captain with every delivery and firing off several volleys of abuse in Clarke's direction.

It was riveting and an example of Test cricket at its absolute best. And so was Clarke's response as he first fended Steyn off and then produced the finest Test innings and hundred he ever has or ever will make.

Steyn's stupendous bowling and Clarke's splendid response makes it an even bigger travesty that this is a 'series' comprising just two Test matches.

The tournament’s leading run scorer takes his place as the apprentice in our opening partnership to Sehwag’s sorcerer. Dilshan’s bowling was more than useful too – just ask Andrew Strauss – and he ended up with only one fewer wicket and a better economy rate than Harbhajan Singh.

Sachin Tendulkar (482 runs at 53.55, 2 100s, 2 50s, SR 91.98)

Is it sacrilegious to push the Little Master down the order to accommodate our choice of opening partnership? Maybe, but Tendulkar is clearly good enough to bat anywhere and is the ultimate team man. His longevity is astounding.

Kumar Sangakkara (465 runs at 93.00, 1 100, 3 50s, SR 83.78)

King Kumar was serenity personified throughout the tournament and he captains our side (although it was a wrench to leave out Dhoni). Is there a more underrated batsman in world cricket?

Mahela Jayawardene (304 runs at 50.66, 2 100s, 1 50, SR 100.00)

His impeccable hundred in the final leapfrogged Jayawardene above AB De Villiers in our XI. A great strike rate and but for the prolific Sri Lankan top three restricting his time at the crease, would have scored more runs in the tournament.

Lazarus. A cricketer reborn. And a decent pick as the player of the tournament. Yuvraj left his annus horribilis of 2010 behind to take the World Cup by the scruff of the neck. Without his masterful composure in the quarter-final against Australia, India would have suffered an ignominious exit. Also proved to be more than the pie chucker he was famously tagged by Kevin Pietersen.

Shahid Afridi (21 wickets at 12.85, ER 3.62; 84 runs at 12.00)

His batting was dire, but his excitable captaincy and devastating leg breaks galvanised Pakistan and propelled them to the semi-finals. He may not have added to his wicket tally in Mohali, but his incredible haul and impressive economy rate mean his selection for this side was automatic.

Dale Steyn (12 wickets at 16.00, ER 4.15)

This lionheart deserved better than to be part of a fragile side that reverted to type in the quarter-final against New Zealand. Others may have opted for Brett Lee, Umar Gul, Tim Southee or Kemar Roach who all had impressive tournaments, but none of these could have turned the game around against India as Steyn did in their group game.

Zaheer Khan (21 wickets at 18.76, ER 4.83)

Tied with Afridi as the tournament’s leading wicket taker and initially carried the Indian attack on his shoulders until his influence had a more positive effect on those around him in the knockout stages. Equally as dangerous at the start, middle and end of an innings and a master of reverse swinging the white ball.

Lasith Malinga (13 wickets at 20.76, ER 5.54)

Malinga was expensive at times, but was always a threat with that unplayable yorker and subtle changes of speed. So close to being the hero in the final when snaring Sehwag and Tendulkar, and always likely to get you a wicket.

Muttiah Muralitharan (15 wickets at 19.40, ER 4.09)

The final proved a match too far for Murali’s battered and bruised body, but even on one leg Murali still had a stunningly influential World Cup and the departing hero just pips Imran Tahir and Ray Price for the final spot in our XI.

Monday, February 14, 2011

To choke, or not to choke? That is the question for perennial underachievers South Africa. Their World Cup history is littered with tales of campaigns that peaked too early, defeats snatched from the jaws of victory and of course a failure to understand Duckworth Lewis. Will it be different this time?

Strengths

Hashim Amla is arguably the world’s top ODI batsman at present and loves batting on the sub-continent. When you add Smith, Kallis, De Villiers and Duminy to the mix, the Proteas have a formidable batting line-up. Dale Steyn is likely to rival Zaheer Khan as the outstanding quick on show and Morne Morkel and Tsotsobe are pretty good back-up. On paper at least, South Africa look one of the favourites.

Weaknesses

Other than the 'C' word, South Africa are seriously lacking in the spin department unless the recently qualified Imran Tahir (if England can adopt players, why can’t South Africa) can hit the ground running.

Main man

As well as plundering runs like a modern day ODI version of Bradman in the last 12 months, Hashim Amla is simply a joy to behold at the crease. Our tip to be the tournament’s leading run scorer.

Look out for…

The next incredible episode in South Africa’s World Cup tale of woe, or will it be different this time?

Prediction

2ndin the group and then toppled in the quarter-final by Shahid Afridi’s cornered tigers.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

We’re not particularly excited at the prospect of the World Cup. It is far too long and the initial group stage of 42 matches could easily be shortened to play-offs between Bangladesh-West Indies and New Zealand-Zimbabwe in order to produce the eight quarter-finalists.

Notwithstanding our gripes about the length and format of the tournament however, we are looking forward to seeing if England can complete a memorable 12 months by adding the World Cup to the Ashes and World T20 triumphs.

Furthermore, we are looking forward to seeing how a number of players perform on the big stage. Here’s XI of them:

Hashim Amla

Sachin’s legions of devotees will doubtless disagree, but is there a better ODI batsman in the world than the bearded wonder at the moment? An average of 75 in 2010 with five ODI hundreds, a phenomenal career ODI average of a touch under 60 and his love of the sub-continent all make Amla our bet to be the tournament’s leading run scorer.

Tamim Iqbal

The left-handed Sehwag is the key to Bangladesh springing a surprise and getting to the last eight. It will likely come down to a straight fight with the West Indies and a blitzkrieg shootout between Tamim and Chris Gayle. Now that will be worth watching.

Ricky Ponting

A last hurrah or a fourth successive World Cup and the third as captain? The Ashes series was like a Shakespearean tragedy for Ponting, so it will be fascinating to see how the World Cup plays out for one of the all-time greats.

Kumar Sangakkara

Along with India, Sri Lanka have to be the favourites to win the tournament and if that happens King Kumar is likely to be omnipresent with his elegant batting, sharp work behind the stumps, shrewd captaincy and eloquent words. As cool as a cucumber.

Virat Kohli

Despite not yet playing Tests, Kohli is far and away the most impressive of the young Indian batsmen jostling for position to eventually replace the likes of Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman. He has taken to ODI cricket like a duck to water and scored more ODI runs (995) than anyone in 2010 with the exception of Amla.

Shahid Afridi

After his belated confirmation as captain, Afridi will be even keener to improve his dreadful World Cup record of 11 with the bat and 40 with the ball. The captaincy hasn’t dimmed the explosive batting of the man with three of the top six fastest centuries in ODI history. Whether he and Pakistan fly or flop, one thing is for sure - it won’t be boring.

Yusuf Pathan

The final piece in the jigsaw for India? After continually disappointing in an Indian shirt, Pathan has suddenly transformed himself into potentially the most devastating hitter in limited overs cricket. Recent hundreds against New Zealand and South Africa demonstrated what he could do – expect more of the same during the World Cup.

Graeme Swann

His absence from the England side in all but the first of the recent seven match series with Australia showed how vital he is to England’s hopes. The pitches down under may have been deliberately prepared to nullify Swann’s threat but that certainly won’t be the case on the sub-continent. Swann loves the big stage, and in pyjama cricket at least there is none bigger than this. England’s chances rest on how he performs.

Lasith Malinga

If Sri Lanka is to repeat its success of 1996, they will need Malinga to fire and stay fit. Expect plenty of timber to fly when he is around and the ball to swing, whether it is old or new. And just how do you play that yorker?

Dale Steyn

The best bowler in the world bar none. Steyn doesn’t worry about containment and will attack relentlessly, and as he showed in Nagpur last year he can be deadly on the sub-continent.

Ray Price

The romantic in us would opt for Murali in his last international tournament, but we really like Price. He may be a spinner, but he has the attitude, stares and choice words of a fearsome fast bowler. Think Merv Hughes without the tash. And he is a decent bowler too who could help his side to a surprise place in the last eight at the expense of the hapless Black Caps.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Just like a particularly canny pride of hungry lions, England’s bowlers hunted as a pack during the series and were utterly ruthless in executing the consummate planning of Australian bowling coach David Saker.

In the process, they comprehensively overcame question marks about their ability to be effective with the kookaburra and their suitability on Australian pitches. Especially pack leader James Anderson, who by the series end had emerged as one of the top three seamers in the world along with Dale Steyn and Zaheer Khan.

As well as executing specific plans for certain batsmen, England stuck admirably to their strategy of containment. This frustrated the Australian batsmen and induced a catalogue of needless fatal strokes outside off stump. By Sydney, this choking of Australia’s batsmen reached such an extent that the home side had struggled to only 171/6 by the time that the second new ball was taken.

All of England’s frontline bowlers impressed even Stuart Broad, who may have only taken two wickets before he went home injured, but was so miserly that others – notably Steve Finn – got the wickets Broad probably deserved.

The rest of the seamers got the wickets that their hard work and brilliance merited. Anderson took 24 wickets – the most by an England fast bowler down under in a five match series since Frank Tyson in 1954/55 whilst Chris Tremlett was a revelation after coming in at Perth and snared 17 victims at 23 and consistently troubled all of Australia’s batsmen.

England even had the luxury of dropping Finn after Perth, despite him being the leading wicket-taker in the series to that point. He may have had 14 wickets, but they had come at the price of an economy rate of 4.3 runs per over. England’s plan was not to be as expensive as Prada, so out went Finn and in came Tim Bresnan.

We’ve written about our doubts about Bresnan’s credentials as a test bowler before, but the big lad was nearly as much of a revelation as Tremlett, taking 11 wickets at 20, and most importantly doing so at an economy rate of just 2.6.

Then there was Graeme Swann. Only the pitch in Adelaide helped him, but other than a poor match at the Gabba, Swann was content to play the support role for once whilst still managing 15 wickets. Doubters will highlight that Swann’s wickets cost almost 40 runs a piece. But when you consider that collectively Australia’s spinners took just five wickets for a beastly 666 runs in the series, Swann actually did very well.

The biggest compliment you can give England’s bowlers is that on the same pitches where England passed 500 four times and made Australia’s attack look horribly toothless, England’s bowlers looked like they were bowling on different surfaces. They found movement where it seemed there was none, they got reverse swing much earlier and unlike their Australian counterparts, were relentlessly accurate.

Their batsmen may have broken the records, but England’s bowlers were equally as crucial. They took 91 out of a possible 100 wickets in the series (to Australia’s 56) and that tells you everything you need to know.

However, it only took the day after the night before for things to change dramatically. We were already reconciling ourselves to a diet of ODI cricket in the run-up to the over-hyped and over-long World Cup in six weeks – and incidentally why are Australia and England playing a SEVEN ODI series again?

But much worse was to come when we realised that the day after England had secured a 3-1 Ashes series victory in Sydney (and yes, we are going to continue to gloat and glorify about that for some time to come), was the obscenity that is the IPL Auction.

We gave the IPL a go last year and even picked an IPL team to support, but the whole spectacle of mediocre cricket, blanket advertising, dreadful television coverage and endless matches left us cold. And this year there’s not even Lalit Modi to make things interesting.

By now you may have deduced that we are not big fans of Twenty 20 at the Reverse Sweep. If Test cricket is like a long passionate relationship with gymnastic sex and one-day cricket is like a series of one night stands – some memorable but most eminently forgettable, then Twenty 20 takes you back to the dreadful sex you had as a spotty teenager. Two unsatisfying pumps and a squirt and it’s all over.

We endured the World T20 last year – but that probably had something to do with England winning the thing, and we’ve been known to watch the occasional match from the English domestic T20 competition, but in truth we don’t regard T20 as proper cricket at the Reverse Sweep.

So whilst this site won’t be a completely IPL free zone this year, it’s safe to say that for the most part we’ll be concentrating on the longer and more satisfying form of the game.

Thursday, January 06, 2011

We've not seen as much of the South Africa-India series as we would have liked - the small matter of the Ashes has put paid to that for this success-starved England fan.

But what we have seen has been utterly engrossing, even if the battle for supremacy between the top two sides in the world really should be a five rather than three test series.

India's fightback from the walloping they took at Centurion has been mightily impressive and saved the BCCI from some embarrassment. How they believed that the side could turn up for their first venture outside the subcontinent for 18 months to play the second best side in the world with their previous poor record in South Africa was beyond belief.

But there is resilience as well as quality in this Indian side, helped in no small part by some of itstop-class players. On a minefield in Durban, VVS Laxman once again showed he is the master of the second innings with a brilliant 96 and Zaheer Khan returned to add canninessto the bowling attack and coaxed much improved performances from Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma.

However, the best aspect of this series has been watching three absolute masters of their craft go about their business. No more so than in the current series decider at Cape Town. Sachin Tendulkarenjoyed an Annus Mirabilis in 2010 and it looks like extending into 2011 if his magnificent 146 here is anything to go by.

India faced a real challenge in replying to South Africa's 362, but Tendulkar played an absolute gem of an innings especially because he had to contend with more out-of-this-world bowling from Dale Steyn.

In his last Test at Newlands, Steyn bowled an outstanding spell of bowling to Paul Collingwood with the new ball, but somehow failed to get the wicket that probably would have led to victory for South Africa. He has been similarly brilliant against India with new and old ball and showed just why he is far and away the best fast bowler in the world. Indeed, Steyn is so good that he has the best strike rate of any bowler in history to have taken more than 100 test wickets - withthe exception of George Lohmann, who played at a time when bowlers held sway just as much as batsmen do today.

But Tendulkar's mastery in handling Steyn helped India eke out a two-run first-innings lead and when South Africa slipped to 130/6, India looked like they would record a series win in South Africa for the first time. Step forward Jacques Kallis. Not content with scoring his first double hundred in Tests at Centurion, or 161 in the 1st innings here, Kallis played an innings equally as brilliant as Tendulkar in marshalling a rearguard from the tail and in the process recording his 40th Test hundred.

South Africa now look the side most likely to win a pulsating match and the series, although the draw is most likely as Steyn has not been well supported by his bowling colleagues. But whateverthe outcome, watching Kallis, Steyn and Tendulkar at work in this test match has been like having Beethoven, Mozart and Bach all gathered in your living room for a one-off exclusive concert. Let the music play.

Sunday, January 02, 2011

Mission Australia is almost accomplished. The Ashes have been retained, but the series is not yet won and England will be intent on securing the victory that will earn the 3-1 scoreline that their dominance throughout the series both deserves and demands.

England's stated intention is to become the number one side in the world. There is still someway to go until they are even close to achieving that - winning in India for example - but a series win in Australia would be a good start. Extra incentive could be provided by last year's series in South Africa when England went into the final match of the series in Johannesburg 1-0 up. They were then blown away by Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel and returned home with a creditable share of the spoils rather than a glorious scalp.

The pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground traditionally favours spin and swing, so Graeme Swann will look to reprise the leading role he played in the second innings of the crushing win in Adelaide. Swing King James Anderson too will be licking his lips - as will Mitchell Johnson if the radar has returned - at the prospect of embellishing his position as the leading wicket-taker in the series.

For Australia, the match has the appearance of a new chapter with Michael Clarke taking over from the injured Ricky Ponting to become Australia's 43rd Test captain - a position that has the same profile and pressure down under as the manager of the nation's football team does in England. There will be debuts too for Usman Khawaja - the first muslim to play for Australia - and Michael Beer, who will play his 8th first-class match and his first at the SCG.

Likely line-ups

England are likely to be unchanged with Tim Bresnan retaining his place ahead of the rested Steven Finn and Paul Collingwood playing what could prove to be his final test unless he can rediscover his mojo with the bat.

Khawaja will likely replace Ponting at number three - although it would be a real statement of intent for Clarke to take this pivotal role, whilst Beer will replace the injured Ryan Harris. Doug Bollinger will likely be 12th man, giving Ben Hilfenhaus another opportunity to get amongst the wickets.

Look out for...

Michael Clarke has had just as a poor series with the bat as his erstwhile captain with just 148 runs at 21.14, and his previous silky technique seems to have deserted him. Indeed, his stats in his last 8 Tests are 322 runs at 21.46. So will the extra pressure of the captaincy provide renewal or further pain?

Graeme Swann has had a solid rather than spectacular series. Poor in Brisbane and Perth, but impressive in Adelaide and Melbourne. The SCG pitch should suit him, so a match-winning performance here would be no real surprise.

Previously at Sydney

They've been playing test cricket at the SCG since 1882 and England have a good record at the ground with 21 wins to Australia's 25 with 7 draws.

2007 - Australia won by 10 wickets- Warne, McGrath and Langer's grand finale as Australia walloped a shellshocked England to confirm the first Ashes whitewash since 1920/21.

2003 - England won by 225 runs- In a match perhaps best remembered for Steve Waugh's emotional hundred, England prevented a series whitewash with Mark Butcher's hundred in the first innings and Michael Vaughan's sparkling 183 - his third ton of the series - in the second, helping set Australia a stiff target of 452. Andy Caddick then took seven wickets - ten in the match - in his final test to let England bow out of a tough series on a high.

1999 - Australia won by 98 runs- England went into the final test of the series knowing that a win would enable them to square the series. But despite a hat-trick from Darren Gough on day 1, the luck deserted England when the third umpire controversially adjudged that Michael Slater had not been run out for 35 in Australia's second innings. Slater went on to make a brilliant 123 out of 184 and the target of 287 proved too much for Alec Stewart's side.

1995 - Match drawn - A potentially famous victory for England was ruined by the weather. Michael Atherton, John Crawley and Gough all hit half-centuries as England hit 309 batting first, before they shot out Australia for just 116 - they were 65/8 at one point. Atherton then declared with Graeme Hick two runs short of a hundred, but the weather, hundreds from Mark Taylor and Slater and stern resistance down the order enabled Australia to escape with the draw.

Prediction

In Australia's favour is their imposing recent record at the SCG - 14 wins in their last 16 matches including the remarkable turnaround against Pakistan last year. Indeed, England (in 2003 - see above) are the only opponents to win at the venue during this time. However, as we've seen during the series, this Australian team is a shadow of its immediate predecessors and if England retain their focus, they should secure a comfortable win to take the series 3-1.

Friday, December 31, 2010

So, 2010 is in its last throes - a year that saw England retain the Ashes and win the World T20 in the Caribbean, India cement their position as the number one test side in the World, Pakistan cricket embroiled in even more turmoil and the swift descent of Australia to one of the also-rans.

It has also been a year of notable individual performances and that leads us to the Reverse Sweep's Test XI of the year:

1. Virender Sehwag (1422 Test runs at 61.82, 5 100s)- More brutality was wreaked on hapless bowling attacks as Sehwag piled up the runs at an astonishing strike rate of 90.80. Next best: Tamim Iqbal - the left-handed Sehwag

2. Hashim Amla (1249 runs at 78.06, 5 100s)- Arguably the batsman of the year - his feats in the mini-series in India where he scored 494 runs for once out proved to be the prelude to an annus mirabilis for Amla, who opens for our XI to accommodate who is to follow. Next best: Alastair Cook, who went on a journey from zero to hero in 2010

3. Jonathan Trott (1325 runs at 66.25, 4 100s)- The scourge of Australia looked in risk of losing his place at the start of the year, but from the start of the English summer Trott has averaged 93 in ten tests. Next best: Kumar Sangakkara - averaged 99.28, but only played six tests

4. Sachin Tendulkar (1562 runs at 78.10, 7 100s) - Like Amla, the Little Master had an annus mirabilis and was the leading run scorer in tests, recorded his 50th Test ton, celebrated 20 years in Test cricket and scored the first double hundred in ODI history. Not bad for a 37 year old. Next best: Thilan Samaraweera - the only man to average over 100 in tests in 2010 but like Sangakkara only played six tests

5. Jacques Kallis (1198 runs at 79.86, 6 100s; 12 wickets at 47.83) - Seems to get better and better, and finally got his first Test double hundred - his 38th in Tests - against India at Centurion to celebrate his sudden and miraculous hair growth. Next best: AB De Villiers - the third cog in South Africa's stellar middle order.

6. VVS Laxman (939 runs at 67.07, 2 100s)- The master of batting in the second innings won India tests they otherwise would likely have lost at Colombo (103*), Mohali (73*) and Durban (96). Along with Harbhajan, he also saved India against New Zealand at Ahmedabad with 91. Very Very Special, indeed. Next best: Ian Bell - the year that the boy finally became a man

7. MS Dhoni (749 runs at 41.61, 1 10o; 41 catches, 7 stumpings)- With Sangakkara and McCullum relinquishing the gloves, Dhoni pips Prior and Haddin to a place in our XI. The captain of the World's number one ranked test side, skippers our XI too. Next best: Brad Haddin or Matt Prior - take your pick.

8. Graeme Swann (64 wickets at 25.96, 6 five-fors) - The leading wicket taker in tests in 2010 and the best spinner in the world is an automatic choice for this XI. Next best: Daniel Vettori - a.k.a Superdan

9. Dale Steyn (60 wickets at 21.81, 4 five-fors) - The best bowler in the world bar none with a phenomenal strike rate of 39 in 2010. His 7/51 in Nagpur was arguably the test performance of the year. Next best: Peter Siddle - Australia's shining light

10. Zaheer Khan (47 wickets at 21.97, 2 five-fors)- If Steyn is the best, than Zaheer is the canniest bowler in the world. Lethal with the new or old ball and his record is even more remarkable given that he played all but one test in 2010 on batsman-friendly subcontinental wickets. Probably India's most important player. Next best: Mohammad Aamer - the light that burns twice as bright, burns half as long?

11. James Anderson (57 wickets at 22.96, 3five-fors) - Absolutely deadly in swing-friendly conditions against Pakistan in the summer, but just as effective in Australia where his development as one of the best fast bowlers in the world has been undeniably confirmed. Next best: Morne Morkel - who forms with Steyn the best new ball attack in the world.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

After all the talk of securing the Ashes before Christmas and going through the tour unbeaten, England certainly came crashing back down to earth in Perth. Indeed, the collapse from 78/0 to 187 all out in the first innings was so disappointing that Icarus himself could have been the pilot of England’s doom. And it got worse in the second innings too with the capitulation for 123 reminding us that being an England cricket fan can be tough.

In fact, with alarming regularity, England’s batting has a tendency to brittleness and being prone to collapse like a house of cards in a force nine gale. On far too many occasions in our 30 years of following England expectation and anticipation can quickly turn into crushing disappointment, misery and despair.

Here is a dirty dozen of England’s worst batting performances over this time. Unfortunately, it is not an exhaustive list but merely one compiled of those disasters that come most easily to mind.

1. 51 all out, 2nd innings, vs West Indies, 1st Test, Kingston, 2009

In an inauspicious start for Andy Flower in his first match in charge, England started their 2ndinnings 74 runs behind. Just 33.2 overs later England were all out for 51. Coincidentally, this was almost a role reversal of what had happened at the same ground five years before when Steve Harmison, with 7 for 12 had bowled the West Indies out for 47.

Having played well throughout the match, England had been set 194 to win and were confident even though they needed to get the better of Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh to reach their target. Nineteen overs of hostile fast bowling later, England were dismissed for a paltry 46, Ambrose with 6 for 24 and Walsh 3 for 16.

3. 79 all out, 2nd innings, vs Australia, 1st Test, Brisbane, 2003

After Nasser Hussain’s bizarre decision to give Australia first use of a flat Gabba track, England were always chasing this game especially with Matthew Hayden scoring a century in each innings. Set an unlikely 463 to win, England were demolished for 79. And Mark Butcher scored 40 of this dismal total!

4. 175 all out, 2nd innings, vs Pakistan, 1st Test, Multan, 2005

After dominating this match, with Marcus Trescothick scoring 193 in England’s 1stinnings and Andrew Flintoff taking match figures of 8 for 156, England were set 198 to win on the last day of the 1stTest. However, they fell 22 runs short to the express pace of Shoaib Akhtar and the wily spin of Danish Kaneira. The balloon of optimism from the 2005 Ashes success had been burst after only one match.

5. 129 all out, 2nd innings, vs Australia, 2nd Test, Adelaide, 2006

On the flattest of flat pitches England had scored 551 for 6 in their 1stinnings, with Paul Collingwood scoring a double century. Although Australia had responded with 513 all out, surely England couldn’t lose from here? Even the Australians, Shane Warne apart, expected the game to meander to a draw. However, after a shocking and timid display England were bowled out for 129 in 73 overs. Australia won by six wickets, and England, with Flintoff crying as he bowled, never recovered and lost the series 5-0.

Not one but two dismal batting performances in the same match. The nadir of a shambolic tour to the land of the long white cloud in 1983 was the 2ndTest at Christchurch, where after New Zealand made 307 in their 1st innings, England were shot for 82 and 93, following on, to lose by an innings. Richard Hadlee had match figures of 8 for 44.

7. 162 all out, 2ndinnings, vs New Zealand, 4th Test, The Oval, 1999

In this fourth and deciding Test of the series, England suffered the ignominy of defeat against a New Zealand side that had previously been ranked the worst team in Test cricket. Chasing 245 to win, England slumped from 123 for 2 to 162 all out to replace the Kiwis at the bottom of the rankings. Fortunately, Nasser Hussain recovered from this inauspicious start to his captaincy to help forge a more resilient England side in tandem with Duncan Fletcher.

England were shot out for 203 by a South African side that had just had to save the 1stTest at Lords. England, who had brought the hitherto unknown Darren Pattinson in for Collingwood, were blown away in 52.3 overs. South Africa responded with 522 and England eventually lost by ten wickets. This defeat and another one in the following Test at Edgbaston led to the resignation of Ashes hero Michael Vaughan as skipper.

9. 222 all out, 2nd innings, vs Pakistan, 3rd Test, The Oval, 2010

Having recovered from 94/7 in the first innings thanks to Matt Prior’s 84, England started their second innings 75 behind Pakistan. However, with Alastair Cook hitting a career saving hundred, England were 81 ahead with only two wickets down. Then Cook’s demise led to a sorry procession and the last seven wickets fell for 28 and despite a late flurry of wickets, Pakistan won by 4 wickets.

10. 155 all out, 1st innings, vs Australia, 1st Test, Lords, 2005

After bowling the Aussies out for 190, with Harmison taking 5 for 43, England collapsed to 21 for 5 thanks to their nemesis Glenn McGrath. Although the Aussies went on to win this battle by 239 runs, England won the war, the adulation, the Trafalgar Square celebrations and their MBEs.

Having escaped by the skin of their teeth in the previous test at Cape Town, England went into the final test at The Wanderers needing just a draw to win the series. Unfortunately as at the WACA, the pitch had pace and bounce, and when Andrew Strauss was out to the first ball of the match, England’s defeat seemed inevitable. They weren’t helped by Daryl Harper’s ineptitude in the video umpire’s chair enabling Graeme Smith to be reprieved on the way to a hundred, but it was their inability to face the pace barrage from Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel - who snared 14 wickets between them - that hastened their doom.

12. 102 all out, 1st innings, vs Australia, 4thTest, Headingley, 2009

With all the talk before hand being about how a win would enable England to regain the Ashes (remind anyone of anything?), a confident Strauss elected to bat on a bowler friendly Headingley surface. But, fears that in the absence of Kevin Pietersen, the England batting was totally reliant on Strauss came to pass. With Stuart Broad batting too high at seven in the absence of Flintoff, and the selectors continuing to rely on an out of his depth Ravi Bopara, at number three, Australia roared back into the series. Happily for England, they bounced back to win the series and the Ashes in the next test at The Oval – can they repeat the trick in Melbourne?

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